


Fair and Square

by TheIcyQueen



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Gen, No Spoilers, Pre-Kingdom Hearts III, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 08:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17700917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIcyQueen/pseuds/TheIcyQueen
Summary: They were recompleted, sure, but that didn't erase what happened in Oblivion. Nothing could change that.





	Fair and Square

**Author's Note:**

> A prompt fill for confusionsign on tumblr! You can find me on tumblr as "queenofbaws," and my inbox is always open for prompts and the like.

“That was _not_ helping! You _knew_ that wasn’t helping!” 

“I mean…I guess it really depends on your definition of _helping_ , dunnit?” Lea spoke with the sort of performative nonchalance that had become his brand, of late. Passersby might’ve confused it for naiveté or, worse yet, brash disregard for the situation he’d found himself in. But had the two had an audience of their peers, it would’ve been made immediately apparent that it was an act. When face to face with a furious, cornered predator, one had to do two things: Show no fear and maintain direct eye contact. Failure to do either would likely result in evisceration. 

And while Ienzo was far from a predator, the memory of Zexion was still fresh in the ether, scenting the air with ozone and blood. More to the point, he was _furious_ –furious in a way his body had not been capable of for more than a decade. It was common knowledge that anger emboldened even the most placid. “Who do _you_ know…” Ienzo began, pits of his cheeks turning a mottled red, the usual neatness of his hair reduced to frantic flyaways, “Whose definition of _helping_ includes _murder?!”_ The fluidity of his speech had changed, become more staccato, harsh reports of gunfire in the dark. It was a warning sign…but for what, neither of them knew. 

Lea leveled his gaze, keeping his face unaffected. “Well, for starters…you.” He blinked a couple times before the corners of his mouth turned up into something sardonic. 

“You _killed_ me!” Ienzo seethed, fists prim little knots at his sides, pinching the fabric of his lab coat into ugly puckers. “You _killed_ Ve–Even!”

He didn’t miss so much as a beat, parrying the accusation with one of his own. “And you two killed _me_.”

Ienzo had opened his mouth to respond, to fire off another barb, but both were surprised to find that there was nothing behind his teeth but shallow breaths. 

Clucking his tongue, Lea laced his fingers behind his own head, stretching back in the chair. “Right. Forgot about that nasty little detail, didn’t you? _All of you_ seem to do that. A lot. Almost like it’s _inconvenient_ for you, huh?” He let out a small, mirthless laugh, “ _Weird!”_ Turning back to Ienzo, he cocked his head to the side minutely, “From my point of view–not that you asked for it, not that you’ve _ever_ asked for it, really–you and me are even-stevens.” He let his tongue absently poke at the tip of an incisor as he watched Ienzo struggle through each and every facial expression known to humankind. It was only then that he stood, pushing the chair to the side with a foot as he crossed the space between them. 

There had been a time, he knew, that being this close to Ienzo would fill his stomach with lead and bile; the boy’s shadow had inspired the same horror that most children felt upon hearing the boogeyman’s name. But now…now there was something else. Anger, certainly. Indignation, most definitely. 

But also something that he had begun to suspect was _pity_. It wasn’t a thought he dwelt on, these days. 

He stood over him, still struck by the strange power of Ienzo’s presence. Whatever that power was, though, it was nothing compared to Zexion–neither was it _anything_ compared to a _Keyblade_. “You killed me. I woke up. I killed you. You woke up.” With a sweeping gesture, much grander than it needed to be, Lea shrugged. “Sounds even to me.” 

Ienzo regarded him for a long time, the patches of color in his cheeks darkening, spreading down to his neck. His eyes were fever-bright with rage, and in that moment, Lea knew it would be a long, long time before the kid finally burned _that_ out of his system. But at length, he spoke. “Let’s _keep it that way.”_

 


End file.
